DE OMNIBUS REBUS.

Globe, Volume IV, Issue 301, 31 May 1875, Page 4

DE OMNIBUS REBUS.

The Dubuque Himes (U.S.) describes a very remarkable meteor, which was seen at lowa City and other prints in Central lowa, on the evening of Febnary 12th, at half-past ten o’clock. Its course was from south-east toward the north-west. It was apparently about half the diameter of the moon, and accompanied by a beautiful train. The colour and vividness were about like that of molten iron. While in view was seen to separate into many fragments, and after about three minutes, the reports of [three explosions were distinctly heard* One of the fragments seems to have fallen about three miles south of the village of West Liberty. An observer near that point says : —“ For fully a minute the heavens were lighted by the fierce glare of the swiftly descending fireball; and when it struck the earth shook as from earthquake for miles around, and the noise of the concussion was heard by the people of Grinnell, ninety-five miles away. The fiery ball, striking terra Jirma in a large open field, frightened residents in the vicinity half out of their wits. It sank 15ft into the ground, and left a hole of that depth and 10ft in diameter. For hours it continued to spit forth flame, crackle, sputter, smoke, and occasionally discharge loud cannon-like reports, to the infinite terror of the people in that vicinity. None dared approach while this miniature volcano continued in action; but with the cessation of life, hundreds gathered around to investigate the wonder." “A few months ago,” writes the Sydney Morning Herald, “ Mr D. D. Field, an eminent American jurist, visited this city in the course of a voyage he was then making round the globe. In February he arrived home in New York, and in response to the requests of a number of friends delivered a public lecture on his travels, on the 23rd of that month, before a crowded audience. In concluding his address. .Mr Field said : “ Another lesson impressed upon us by this voyage is the magnitude of the English Empire. Truly it belts the globe. The title of Victoria, “ Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, Empress of Hindostan and Sovereign of Australia,” does not even tell the whole story, I have heard it said and repeated a hundred times that England has lost her prestige because she has in some degree withdrawn from intermeddling with the affaire of the European continent, lost her prestige because, instead of fighting to raise up one dynasty, and put down another among her neighbours, she has taken to founding states and building up nations all over the werld ! She has laid the foundations of a nation to the north of us, reaching from the lakes to the pole ; she is building up another dominion in South Africa; she is building up a greater nation in Australia, that is yet to dominate over the southern hemisphere, eastward of the Cape ; and she is taking and peopling the islands of the Pacific seas. For my own part, I rejoice at this. Bearing in mind that proconsular or colonial Governments cannot be safely worked under our American institutions, I am glad that qnder English institutions they can. Our two nations have, each in its own sphere, a great work to do; and they can do it, aiding and stimulating each other. My heart swells with pride when I think that America, hy settling her own vast domains, and covering them with popular and free institutions, and England by colonising and stretching her dominions, that these two nations are extending to indefinite limits the use and sway of their common language, their common laws, and their common social life. I rejoiced the other day when I heard that an Australian Governor had planted the flag of England on the Fiji group, and reflected that the sonnets of Shakspeare and the laws of Alfred would be the heritage of the future inhabitants of these sunny islands. Ladies and Gentlemen,—'America and England hold

more things in common that they hold in severalty. It is time that the tone of disparagement in which some on both sides indulge should cease, and that the hates of past ages should be buried ; that the light of the coming Centennial may shine upon kindred peoples, rejoicing together in that mysterious Providence which parted them, that they might travel by different roads to the same gaol, and which makes them at once rivals and mutual well-wishers. The name of Washington, our great leader and father, whose birthday we are celebrating, is held in honor and reverence by a majority of the English people. For myself, lam free to say that while I love my own starry flag the best of all that float, I love next the fiery cross of England.” Mr Bright has written a letter to the Rev T. O’Malley, ihe author of a little work in favor of Home-rule, on the “Home-rule” plan, in which he declares that Mr Mitchell’s proposal for absolute Irish independence is reasonable compared with that for federation and Home-rule, if there were any prospect whatever of getting either the one scheme or the other really passed into law. Even if you allow the maximum number of Irish who are virtually disaffected to the present system, say four millions out of the five and a half millions of her people, that gives only a million of men, and of these not one-half have any knowledge of politics and public affairs. Yet besides the Irish minority who are opposed to the scheme, the whole people of England and Scotland will never consent to a system whicn forces them to accept for themselves local Parliaments which they don’t want, in order to accommodate themselves to the Irish demand for an Imperial Federation equally far from their wish. The scheme is incurably clumsy, and there is no chance whatever of finding any popular force to give it even political significance. The Home-rulers of course disavow Mr O’Malley as an adequate exponent of their views, but whether hia exposition be adequate or inadequate, those views necessarily involve the difficulties pointed out by Mr Bright. A scene, though a tame one, has occurred in the House of Commons, Dr Kene'aly, in a verbose but temperate speech, demanding to know whether Mr E. Ashley, in accusing him at Ryde of putting a false witness, Jean Luie, into the box, had not violated the privileges of Parliament. He utterly denied that he knew of Luie’s intention to forswear himself. Mr Ashley, in a very quiet reply, in which, however, he intimated that he had foundation for his charge, placed himself at the disposal of the House, and after a remonstrance from Mr Bright, apologised for having made such an accusation at a public dinner, but the incident led to a discussion of some importance. Mr Lowe, in a spirited speech, protested against the growing practice of wresting a privilege intended to secure fair controversy within doors into a weapon of attack against any member who out of doors made a speech another member did not like. Mr Disraeli, who followed him, declared that to constitute “a question of privilege a personal attack must be made in the House, or against a member in his capacity as a member of the House.” Dr Kenealy had not made a personal explanation only, but had raised a question of privilege, and there was no privilege in the matter. He therefore moved that the House pass on to the order of the day. This was carried, but it is to be noted that neither the House nor the Speaker has decided what is clearly the case, that a Member of Parliament, except a» member, is only an ordinary citizen. Any deviation from that rule, as we have tried to show elsewhere, can but make it dangerous to seek justice against a Member of Parliament. “ The falling oflf in emigration to the United States,” writes the Pall Mall Gazette, “ is beginning to attract considerable attention in chat country. During 1874 the number of passengers, including citizens, who arrived at New York was 149,762. The citizens and natives did not amount to more than 1200, so that this figure may be said to represent the emigration during the year. In 1873 the number of emigrants was 268,288, showing a decrease during the past year of 118,526. There is no indication that this decrease will end, as the falling oflf increased from month to month, and was larger in December than in any month of the year, the arrivals that month being 3212, against 6329 in December, 1873, showing a decrease in one month alone of 2027. Of the emigrants who arrived in December, 1567 were from the German Empire, and 1629 from Great Britain, including Ireland. The two principal sources of supply of emigrants are therefore Germany and Great Britain. France sends not more than 10 per cent of the Germans. Fropi Sweden and Norway theemigration had almost ceased. Italy and Russia contribute a small number, but the arrivals from other foreign countries than Great Britain, Germany, and the German States are comparatively insignificant in number. This does not represent the emigration to the Pacific coast, almost exclusively of Chinese. But the fact of the United States having lost nearly 120,000 of its yearly supply of emigrants is, says the New York Herald, a serious one, as the mature opinion of the country is that its greatness and growth depend upon the emigration from the great nations of Europe. The real causes of the decrease are attributed by the New York Herald to the national policy of the United States, the depression of business, the disasters that have befallen the agricultural interests in the West, and the general fear of hard times and poverty. The failure of reconstruction in the South also practically closes that vast and rich territory to the emigrant. All the advantages arising to the United States owing to the threatening aspect of affairs in Europe which naturally encourages emigration are, in the opinion of the New York Herald, being thrown away by the Americans therqselvea, who wantonly abuse an apparen j;l y inexhaustible source of power. ’ The rival Press train, is a joint undertaking of the Standard, Telegraph, and Daily 2\ews, It leaves King’s Cross at 5.15 about an hour before the regular Press train’ and is due at Manchester at a quarter to eleven. There will also be an important acceleration at all stations north of York, and it is possible that the new arrangement may afirect Scotland even more than the English provincial towns,

The following example of the lifting power of plants is given by the Gulgong Arms (N.S.W ) i—“ About 400 yards easterly from the Gulgong Cemetery, on the top of the range, there is a thrifty kurrajong tree, 50ft high, and about 2Jft in circumference at the base. It would appear that the seed was dropped in the crevice of a rock and took root. In due course, as the tree increased in eiae, about two tons of rock has been lifted. The lateral pressure must have reouirtd a lifting power of at least 20 tons.”

■■■ -■ ». An old gentleman, who had risen from the ranks and become a rich coal-mine owner, fell ill, and summoned a doctor. The doctor doctored him, and impressed upon his patient not to drink beer, but port instead, and told him he would call in a month. At the end of a month the patient came to him, and with a long face said, “ I’ve drunk port as you told me, but I shall be ruined.” The doctor cried, “Nonsense! A wealthy man like you ! How much do you drink ?” The old man answered, in perfect simplicity of heart, “About the same as I used to drink o’ beer—about tew or three gallin’ a day. ” A patent medicine vendor, who was dilating to a crowd on the wonderful efficacy of his iron bitters, pronounced them all potent in building up an “iron constitution.” “That is so, that is so,” said a bystander. “What he tells you is a fact, gentlemen, every word of it.” “ Hear that, will you ? ” cried the delighted quack ; “ here is a man who has used the bitters and can recommend them.” “No, not exactly that,” replied the old fellow; “I have never used the stuff myself, but, you see, my friend Jenkins did, and they jest saved his life. You see, Jenkins had taken the bitters jest one week before he was shoved in prison for something. He was stripped of everything in the shape of iron about him, and yet he made a bar and worked his way out. He had taken this man’s iron bitters d’ye mind. But what does Jenkins do but open a vein in his arm, and took iron enough out of his blood to make a crowbar and prized the gates open with it and let himself out.” The vendor set his dog at him.